Wednesday, December 12, 2007

heavenly home

I'm going to do some catching up now, starting with a little surprise that came in at the last moment. Sandy Wenell Thornton is an excellent watercolorist who started the study of heaven with us in January, then had one family issue after another come up to interrupt her. I knew it had been quite a traumatic year for her and I figured that she had probabaly been a little too overwhelmed with life to take part in the final showing. But then she absolutely stunned me with this mixed media piece titled, "Home is a Place We've Never Been Before."

Her inspiration for the piece came from John 14:2-3: "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

When dealing with the subject of losing someone near to us to death, Randy Alcorn writes, "At the same moment that they are overwhelmed with grief over what has happened to their loved one, the one they mourn is overcome with joy. For they are home at last. Home for the very first time." (This is from his book, In Light of Eternity, which we used for our study of heaven.) I think that Sandy might be drawing from some very personal experiences here, where we see an older woman opening a door to the home that Jesus has prepared for her, finally coming home.

For believers that mourn the loss of another believer we love, it can truly be a comfort to know that not only are they home, but someday we can be home with them again.

Monday, December 10, 2007

heaven's open!

So I was too busy getting ready for the opening of Visions of Heaven at the Artisan Gallery to get around to updating this blog last week, but I'll make up for it by posting photos from Saturday night and then I'll catch up with more art that is up on those walls right now. Remember that if you want to see any of these images larger, just click on it.

This shot shows the back end of the gallery, you can see one of Dave Kiesewetter's pieces, several of Ross Conklin's and Vincent Dixon's painting on the curvy wall. My sculptural work is on the pedastal.

Another view of the gallery shows Sandy Thornton's painting next to several of Karen Fields' small works - and the door leading into Cafe' Refugio.

Looking back toward the front of the gallery you can see Eileen Downes' pieces, large and small, and another of Ross Conklin's paintings.

And here's the front door of the gallery, Ross has another painting here, and you can see a grouping of my photographic works here as well.

Farther along that same wall, are a few more of my photographic works, and a couple artists waiting for their throngs of visitors. During the reception, I made an effort to capture each of the showing artists by their work:

Dave and Pam Kiesewetter

Eileen Downes

Jared Konopitski

Karen Fields

Ross Conklin

Sandy Wenell Thornton

Sheila Stockton

Vincent Dixon

Our cool live music, Karmada

Judith and Scott Monroe